1406 Solomon Islands: Slovak students to help
austraLasia 1406

Slovakian families to assist Solomon Island students

BRATISLAVA: 25th January 2006 --  Slovakian volunteer, Ms Alena Takacova was originally a successful software developer-engineer in Bratislava, working for Siemens.  She has put in two stints of volunteer service in the Solomon Islands, 5 months in 2003 and a further 7 months in 2005, working in Tetere parish at the rural training centre there.  She was invited at the time by a Slovakian Salesian missionary working there, Fr Peter Kuchar, and slowly came to know Don Bosco, his family and spirituality by living in the parish compound behind the local Sisters' convent.
    Ms Takacova is now preparing her third period of service which she hopes to begin some time in February.  In the meantime, back in Slovakia, she has been able to set up a 'Distance adoption scheme', for some 50 SI High School students to cover their school fees and give them an opportunity to complete their education.  The students come from the Tetere Parish area, and the scheme is carried out through the intermediary efforts of the SLK Provincial mission animation centre in Bratislava-Mileticova.  In this way she is trying to build bridges between the two distant Salesian places, although Ms Takacova is not yet formally a member of the Salesian Family.  Ms Takacova is doing one other thing for her adopted mission - she is setting up a website for the parish which will be hosted in Slovakia and available in English and Slovakian.

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